61st Annual Hunger Games
by Askewlemon
Summary: Meeka Cooke, a seventeen year old girl from District Four. Her life is turned upside down when her name is called at the Reaping. She must Survive the Games to get back home, to her family and friends. Can she survive this unique arena? Will she be able to fight her way to being District Four's second ever winner? Rated T because its the Hunger games and blood will be flowing.
1. Chapter 1

The 61st Annual Hunger Games

Chapter 1

Fish. That's all I smell, in fact that's all I can ever smell here. District 4, what a place to live. Growing up here I have always wished I could live somewhere else. I hate the ocean, I hate the people, but the worst is the forever-lingering smell of fish. That's all anyone ever talks about. You go to school and they teach you about the history of fish, you go to work and you catch fish, then you come home and you eat fish. I swear, I am 17 years old and I must have eaten more fish than any other type of food combined. Someday I hope to get out of here, but considering that's pretty much impossible in Panem, I am forever doomed to eating, smelling, catching, and learning about fish.

"Meena, are you getting ready? We have to get down to town square in only a few hours" my mother yells. Oh yeah I forgot to mention I am also named after a fish. Most people here are named after some kind of sea life. Meena isn't even a good tasting fish; I honestly think it is revolting.

"Yeah, almost ready." All morning I have been getting ready for the Reaping. I honestly am not too worried about it. My family isn't so poor that I have to put my name in extra times for provisions so I think I am going to be fine. Usually its one of the kids from the slums, and they don't last very long. Here in District 4 we have had a few winners but typically it goes to the Careers in Districts 1 or 2.

I look in the mirror and see myself like any other day. Tan skin, curly brown hair, brown eyes, and freckles dotting my face. My light blue dress clings to my slim figure. I have worn this dress the past few years and now, being 5'6", it no longer fits correctly. I don't really care though, I am not going to waste money on buying a dress to wear once a year that I won't even need after next year. I am more of the t-shirt, jeans and hair up in a bun type of girl.

I walk down the hall and see my parents talking while cooking some kind of fish stew in a pot over the fireplace. Our house isn't very big, but I think its perfect. I am an only child so I get my own room, though it is quite small, I think it's true intention is to be a closet or pantry of some sorts. Our kitchen is also small but I don't mind, just means more quality time with my parents. They are honestly great. My mom works at the school as a net weaving instructor, and my father is a fisherman. When I see my mother I am always reminded that I am her daughter just by our looks. I look almost exactly like her, with the exception being that she has deep blue eyes. My father on the other hand is much more tanned than we are, just because he is out in the sun all day fishing. He has sun bleached hair, brown eyes, and is 6'4".

"Want some stew?" my father asks

"No thanks I am good." I reply

"You sure? I caught these this morning and we added some clams in there too." I just shake my head and sit down at our small table in the corner. Our little table is on its way out. We have had it as long as I can remember. It doesn't help that everything rusts so quickly here due to the salt water. My family lives pretty close to the beach so when a big storm comes in our little house often gets a little bit of flooding. When that happens we tie everything of value up in a tarp and tie it to the ceiling. My best friend, Shelly, lives farther up in a nicer area so her family usually lets us stay there until the storm passes.

"We have to get down to Town Square soon. The Reaping starts in an hour and a half." My father says while eating his stew.

"Yeah I'll just head down there now. You guys finish breakfast and meet me there." I say back

"Are you nervous?" he says

"Not really, my name is only in there 6 times." I say while walking out the door "Love you guys! See you soon!"

I start walking down the sandy paths towards Town Square. I have about a 5-minute walk. I mindlessly walk there, passing Victors Village on my way. There is only one house occupied there, and that's Mags Flanagan. She won the 11th Hunger Games, at the age of sixteen. Mags is our only Victor here, but everyone loves her. She often goes to the market and will buy fish or bread then hand it out to the poorer people. Whenever a child loses their parent in a fishing accident she will always make sure they are taken care of until they can take care of themselves. I have only met her in person once, at the market, but I have never met a kinder person than her.

"Meena!" I hear a girl shout. I look ahead and see my best friend Shelly just about to get in line at the Reaping. Shelly is one of the richer people here and you can tell. She is wearing a dark blue dress with tiny waves at the bottom. Her blond hair is tied up in what looks like a maze of hair at the top of her head. And gems adorn her ears. She has ice blue eyes that stand out against her tan skin. All the guys at school love her. What I like about her though is that she doesn't act like she is rich. She never mentions money, and tries not to let anyone know of her wealth. I run up to her and give her a hug.

"Hey, How've you been?" I say

"Good, just looking forward to this being over. I hate the Reaping every year I can't sleep the night before because I get so nervous that they will pick my name. And I know its not realistic because all those other kids have there names in dozens of times, but you know, I always still wonder. I am glad this is my last year." She says while visibly shaking.

"I am sure we will be fine." I reply as we reach the peacekeepers. They prick our fingers and sign us in. We then head off to our sections.

"Hey want to head down to the beach later? Some people are going to be having a post Reaping party down there." I ask shelly as she heads towards the section for 18 year olds.

"Yeah sure. Meet me by Barnacles Bakery after." She says while disappearing into the crowd.

The whole signing in process took about 20 minutes so the show will start soon. The Reaping is awful. Honestly, what kind of leader makes kids go fight to the death? Last year both of the tributes were 12 years old and died within the first day. I knew one of them too. My mom works with the boy tributes mother. They would come over sometimes if they really needed food. My parents always tried to help. We were watching the games together when he died. The scream that his mother made as an arrow plunged through his back was something I will never forget. The sound of a mother mourning over her young son is bone chilling. My mother tried to comfort her but how can you comfort someone when they had just seen something like that. When the kids are reaped there parents always have a small bit of hope that they will make it but most of them time that doesn't happen. For weeks after the incident my mother looked at me like I was the most valuable thing in the world. I knew if I was ever reaped it would literally break her.

I look up to the stage and see the Peacekeepers setting up a few chairs. Two for the Mayor and his wife, and one for Mags. After another 10 minutes I see everyone start to get on stage. Must be time. The mayor, his wife, and Mags all sit down then Clementine walks on stage. Clementine is District 4's very own escort. She looks like you might think. She really takes her name all too seriously when it comes to fashion. She has on an orange poufy dress, Orange High heels, and blondish-orange hair with a hat that looks to possibly be made of clementines. Also, when the sun hits her skin you can see it sparkle orange. Honestly, who comes up with these things? The Capitol's fashion sense is a joke.

"Hello ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the 61st Annual Hunger Games Reaping! I hope you are all as excited as I am for this Great event! Before the main event we will be showing a video most of you have seen. So lets get right to it!" She says in her high-pitched Capitol accent. The video starts playing. I have seen this for pretty much every year since I have been born. It just says how President Snow is perfect, and how the Hunger games are Necessary to keep the peace. Its all a load of bull shit if you ask me. Personally I would have a lot more respect for the guy if he didn't make my neighbors fight to the death, but whatever. The video Finishes and she resumes her speech.

"Okay now down to the best part. Who will this years District 4 Tributes be? As always, ladies first. She struts over to the class bowl filled with thousands of tiny sheets of paper with people's names on them, including mine. Her hand dives down into the bowl and she swirls around the names until dramatically taking one out. She looks down at the paper, unfolds it then screeches the name out in her Capitol Accent "Meeka Cooke"

My insides feel as if they have been liquefied. I think I may puke. I hear a scream come from the back of the crowd that must be my mothers. Slowly all the other kids turn their heads towards me. Instantly my mind starts racing. "Don't look afraid, be confident, start walking, and don't cry." I think, as my feet start moving towards the stage. I hold my head high and start walking up the stairs onto the wooden stage. Clementine walks over to me and hugs me; my nose is instantly filled with the smell of oranges, which is only making me more nauseous.

"Hello darling, how are you?" She asks looking thrilled. How am I? How could she ask that? Does she not understand I have just been sentenced to a certain, and violent death? I hold back the punch that I want to throw her way and say into the microphone "I'm okay I guess." She smiles at me and turns her attention to the other glass bowl on the stage. Her heels clack as she walks towards it. She then replicates the way she chose the female tributes name, my name. She reads out the name "Melvin Hewitt". I have no idea who that is. I have never heard that name in my life and when I see him I know why. We have an age gap, and he is definitely from the slums by the look of his tattered clothes. He comes out of the 14-year-old boy section and walks up to the stage, tears silently rolling down his pale cheeks. His hair is long and bright red. Not a good thing considering where we are going. He is what people call a ginger. His skin is extremely white, freckles covering his whole body, and he is extremely thin. I know as soon as I see him that if needed I would be able to take him on in a fight. He walks up on stage sobbing and when Clementine asks how he is he cant even reply because of the amount of tears. I look at him with sorrow in my eyes; I know he won't last long. Just by the way he carries himself, I can tell he will most likely be picked off in the beginning. One thing I do know is that I cannot breakdown like him. People think the Games start when the timer runs out, but they're wrong. The Games start as soon as your name is chosen out of that bowl.

 **Authors Note: Hi everyone, hope you like the first chapter. I hope to get at least 2 chapters out a day (no idea how many there will be). If you see any typos are any room from improvement writing wise please let me know! The next chapter will be out soon :) Thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2:

I feel like I'm dreaming. The peacekeeper shuffled us into the mayor's house, pushed us up some stairs, and put us in different rooms. I sit here waiting for my family and friends wondering what they're thinking, wondering how my going to survive, wondering how could my name have been picked. The room I'm in is extravagant; crisp white walls, and gold chandeliers dripping from the ceiling. This room has more light than my entire house does. The couch is a dark blue velvet, I've never felt anything like it it's beautiful. Melvin was sobbing all the way upstairs hyperventilating I can't help but feel bad for him. About 20 minutes goes by when I see the doorknob turn and my parents bust into the room. My mother is sobbing and my father stands behind her, obviously trying to hold back tears.

"You have to win." My mother says between sobs.

"I am going to try." I say. The sight of her crying is just making me want to cry as well'. I know I cant though. If I walk out of this room with puffy eyes then the media will be sure to catch it on camera and I will be perceived as week. My only chance is to align with some of the stronger players, and they wont want me if they think I am a crybaby. "I know how to fish, make nets, and use a trident, along with spears. I guess all that fishing payed off" I say with a nervous laugh.

"That's my girl, just be smart, and don't make any risky decisions unless you have to. You're strong and you are going to be one of the older kids there. I believe that you can win this." Say my father. He says it with such confidence that I want to believe it. But can I really kill people? Can I really kill children?

I had about ten more minutes with them before the Peacekeepers came in and took them out. We just talked about memories of when I was a child and funny stories. I could tell my dad was trying to make sure I remembered all the great things about my life. Honestly I am happy he did that. I don't want my last memory of them to be all of s crying because of my soon approaching death. No, I want to remember how we laughed together, things we did when they weren't working. That is a good memory to me.

As soon as they are ushered out I see the door fly open again and Shelly launch herself into the room. She looks at me, and I can tell she has also been crying. She takes a bracelet off her wrist and hands it to me. It's a silver charm bracelet with a little shell charm on it. "I wanted you to have this. You can wear it in the Games." She says with a meek smile. She puts the bracelet on me and smiles. "Looks better on you than it does on me."

"Shelly… Thank you." I say as I embrace her in a hug. We sit on the couch not talking but just sitting. That's the best thing about our friendship. We don't need to talk to each other we can just be together and be perfectly comfortable. A Peacekeeper shows up at the door and tells her its time to leave.

"You win this. Don't leave me stuck with all these pricks." She says while walking out the door not giving me a chance to say anything back.

I am not really expecting anyone else to some so I just lay down on the couch and close my eyes hoping this is all just a dream. I am awoken by a Peacekeeper and brought out into the hall where Clementine, and Melvin are waiting. Melvin looks worse than before. His eyes are bloodshot from crying and his long curly hair is wet from tears.

"So now we are going to the train. We are not too far from the capitol so we should reach there by early tomorrow morning. Mags will be on the train so you will have a chance to talk to her. Any questions?" She says quickly in her capitol accent already walking towards the door like she doesn't actually care if we have questions. I wonder how she walks in those shoes. They have to be at least 10 inches high. Melvin and I follow her out into the street where we have a short walk to a car. We get in the car and I can tell right away that this is Melvin's first time in one. He looks amazed at the way it looks and his eyes are darting back and forth taking everything in. I have been in a car several times because Shelly's dad owns one. He would drive me home sometimes if it were raining; I always thought it was the coolest thing.

We drive for about 10 minutes until we reach the train. The whole ride Clementine was going on about how excited we should be and what an honor it is to be chosen for such a historic event. Her saying that just made Melvin start crying again. Since we have both been chosen we haven't said a word to each other, but when he started crying again I just put my hand over his and gave him a reassuring smile. That seemed to help because he stopped crying.

We arrive at the train and are brought inside. As soon as I get in there I experience something I have never before in my life experienced. I can't smell fish. My entire life I have wanted this day to come where I wouldn't have to smell a fish every second and its here. However, I wish nothing more than to be back in my home where the smell of fish haunts the halls.

 **Authors note: Okay guys this is a super short chapter I know ;-; But I will have another one out soon! The next chapter will definitely be longer. To be honest I don't really care for the train rides, and the goodbyes. However some people do so I want to make sure those are there for you. I also want you guys to really know Meeka and Melvin, along with the other characters that will be coming into the story later. So, I think the train rides and the goodbyes are essential to their character development. Please leave me a review! Thanks so much for reading 3**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

When we got on the train we were greeted with the smell of different appetizers, desserts, and food that I didn't even know the name of. Never in my life have I ever seen so much food. I can see Melvin is in the same boat as me because as soon as he steps on the train a smile pulls the corners of his lips and he practically sprints towards the table with different pastries in the middle. He started shoveling food into his mouth like he has never had a bite to eat in his entire life. Just by looking at how skinny he is I can tell he doesn't eat much at home. I thought my diet of fish and bread was bad, but I am sure if this kid had rotting fish he would still eat it. As he sloppily eats the pastries filled with jellies and jams crumbs fall all over his shirt. He doesn't seem to mind though. His shirt might at one time been white but now it's more of a tan color, and he has on black slacks that are ripped in several places. I walk beside him and look at the array of food before me. I am amazed at the options. I don't even know what most of these things are. I see cake, candy, pastries, some kind small ball of bread, and various other things. I grab the little ball of bread and bite into it and am surprised when some kind of cream is in the middle.

"Creampuff" I hear a female voice say behind me. I look behind me and see Mags. Melvin swallows what was left of a piece of chocolate cake and looks up at the old woman. Mags is 66 now, she won the Games so long ago but in my mind she is one of the noblest victors. "That thing you just ate, it was a creampuff. One of my favorite things on this train." She says while popping one into her mouth "As you may or may not know, my name is Mags. I will be your mentor during these Games. If you have any questions feel free to ask me. First thing I am going to tell you is try to make sure you don't make a bad impression on the other tributes. You are going to meet them later tomorrow and first impressions are everything. Very few people this Game without an alliance, so I suggest you get one." She says while looking us over, almost like she is sizing us up for a fight. District Four has not had a winner in fifty years. Mags has had to mentor forty-nine children, then has had to watch them die after forming that bond with them. That has got to take a toll on someone. If I win that will be my job, mentoring kids and knowing for a fact that at least one of them is going to die.

"What's the point?", Melvin says. "There is no way I am going to live. I might as well jump off the platform so its quick." This is the first time I have heard him speak. Before the only noise he made was when he was sobbing. His voice is surprisingly quite deep, not what you would expect by looking at him.

"Whats the point? The point is you are going to fight, and you are going to try to win. Do you think I though I would win my games? No. I expected to die in the bloodbath. You guys have to have confidence in yourselves. Yes, I know that is hard but you can at least try. If not for yourself do it for your families." Mags says with a stern voice. As soon as she said that Melvin looked down, almost like he was ashamed. "I know you are both processing a lot right now so save any questions for tonight. Dinner is at six o'clock, be there. I am going to watch who the other tributes are in the other districts on the television if you would like to come. I suggest you do and start deciding who you might want to align with now." She says as she heads over to the door. Melvin and I both grab a handful of food and follow her

When we get in the next car it looks similar to the last one. White walls, red curtains, and elegant wood furnishings. The only difference is this room doesn't have the array of food; instead in the corner is a large television with red velvet couches surrounding it. We all take a seat and Mags puts it on. Clementine comes in and squeals about how she is so excited to see all the other tributes, and see how she looked on television. I mostly try to ignore her, although, it pretty hard when she smells like an orchard. Capitol citizens just annoy me. They have so much privilege and they don't even realize it. Almost all the districts are low only food, and what food we can grow or catch we have to send to them. On top of it all they don't even have to participate in the Hunger Games. I would love to see a Games of only Capitol citizens, that would teach them. I bet they wouldn't think it was so great then.

District one pops up on the screen with their escort standing on the stage. Two of the previous victors are sitting in chars behind him along with the Mayor and his wife. District one won the Games last year. Usually the win either goes to them or District 2. One and two have one the last 6 years. The male escort, Dressed in pure gold grabs a name out of the girls bowl and before he can even read it out you can hear people screaming, "I volunteer!" Girls bolt up to the stage running as fast as they can to be the first one up. The girl who gets there first looks beautiful but deadly. She has long blonde hair, striking green eyes, its about my height, and has pale skin. One she gets on stage all the other girls back off. I think I can even see a few crying. The male escort walks over to get and asks her name and age.

"Hello, My name is Ruby Warrington, daughter of Luke Warrington, winner of the 52nd Hunger Games. Oh, and I am eighteen years old." She says with her head held high and a winning smile. The Camera zooms in on who I assume to be Luke.

"Do not align yourself with that girl." Says Mags

"Why not?" I ask.

"The way her father played the Games was by killing anyone he was aligned with. He started off in the Career alliance and after only two days he killed them all in their sleep. After that he charmed at least three of the other tributes into an alliance and killed them the same way. In total he had eleven kills, the most any lone tribute has ever gotten. Also the fact that she is his daughter she already is going to have sponsors lining up to sponsor her."

"Okay got it, no aligning with her."

After Ruby gives her little speech the escort walks over to the other bowl. He pulls out a name and before he can even read it the same thing happens as before. Men shouting that they volunteer and about ten of them fighting to get up to the stage. The one who gets there first looks terrifying. He is at least 6'3" has jet black hair, pale skin, light blue eyes, and a scar running down his cheek. He walks straight up to the microphone and practically yanks it out of the escort's hand. "My name is Jet Campbell, I am 18 years old, and I will be District One's next Victor." He says with his deep voice. As soon as he says that the crowd roars in excitement. I can see Ruby's jaw clench as if she is jealous. However, she instantly puts on one of he charming smiles, walks up to him and shakes his hand. Both of these tributes are deadly and you can tell. I know I have to stay clear of them. I am sure District Two's Tributes will be just as deadly as these two are. Teamed up they will be a force to be reckoned with.

After the two shake hands the screen switches over to District 2. This time the reaping is much more civil. District 2, along with District 1, trains their tributes in a training center. However, unlike District 1 who encourages their tributes to fight to get on stage and be the tribute, District 2 pre chooses theirs. This ensures that the District produces the best tribute possible. The escort, this time a female dressed in all pink fur, grabs a name out of the bowl and instantly a girl yells in a loud voice "I volunteer" She struts up to the stage with confidence. The whole crowd parts for her making the whole thing that much more dramatic. She takes the steps one by one and reaches the top. The microphone is handed to her and she says, "I am Charlotte Selveski, I am 18 years old." With that she steps back. Charlotte has dark brown hair, brown eyes, tan skin, and is a few inches shorter than me. Though small I know that she is still a threat, of all the girls who trained their entire lives she was the one chosen.

Next the male tribute is chosen. Again the crowd parts after a voice yells I volunteer. You can always tell that District 2 has the strongest Tributes. They are almost all masons; they provide most of the stone, and bricks for the other districts and the Capitol. Their people are all tanned and muscled, and are obviously used to hard work. The male tribute is no exception to this. He stands at about 5'10", has tan skin, light brown hair, brown eyes, and is built like an ox. One look at him and I know he can easily brake my neck. The microphone is handed to him and he says his name is Brock Clayton and that he is 18 years old. The two hug instead of shake hands. I can tell that they know each other because they back away while the escort does the closing ceremony and the whisper to one another.

District 3 pops up on the screen next. This is when I really have to start paying attention. Any tribute from now on is going to be a potential ally. I do not intend on aligning with the careers so someone from one of the smaller districts is a much better choice for me. The escort grabs a name from the bowl and reads it out "Lynx Douger" A girl is pushed out of the twelve-year-old section. She looks terrified. She looks so little that I am surprised she is even twelve. She has pale skin, blonde hair braided into pigtails, rosy cheeks, blue eyes, and can't be taller than 5 feet. I can see tears streaming down her face but she is trying to hide them. She stands up one the stage silently. I look next to me and I can see Mags sigh, she knows as well as I do that this girl doesn't stand a chance. The youngest victor ever was fifteen and even he barely survived. Next the boy's name is called "Pixel Grey!" The woman shouts. A boy comes out of the fifteen year old section. He is trying to keep his cool but you can see the look of terror on his face. He is white, has brown hair that falls to his shoulders, brown eyes and is about my height. The two kids shake hands and the screen changes to District Four.

Seeing it on screen is so different than real life. People who watch this only get to see the best parts of our Districts. They see the town center, which is decorated, and they see all the people dressed up. They also don't have to deal with the smell. As soon as the Camera goes to Clementine she squeals. "Oh I am so happy I chose this outfit! Last year I looked so washed out but this not shimmer treatment I got really has done the trick for my skin. I am going to have to tell all the other escorts they are going to love me for this Idea!" She says in her capitol accent. Everything happens just as I remember it except this time I get to see how I look. At first you can see the look of horror on my face but I guess I hid it well after that because I look confident. Next Melvin's name is called. He starts crying again as soon as he sees himself.

"I look so weak, I probably couldn't even beat that twelve year old girl from District 3." he moans.

"Melvin, like I said have confidence in yourself, only half the game is physical. The other part is smarts and to me you look like a smart kid. All those careers may have strength on their side but they are pretty much all as dumb as a rock. I wouldn't be too worried." Says Mags. I know she can't believe that. One on one Melvin doesn't stand a chance against anyone so far. Even that young girl would have a shot at beating him if she had a weapon. Mags does her best to encourage him though. He needs that, Melvin is a potential ally and if he jumps off the platform in the first few seconds that leaves me weaker.

All the rest of the tributes pretty much fall into the typical category. All average looking for their districts, there are a few that stand out to me as potential allies, both tributes from District 7, a girl from 9, and a boy from 11. I will pay special attention to them I the days to come and see what they think about making an alliance. Everyone else either looked too weak or too threatening. Another twelve-year-old girl from district 12 was reaped. She was slightly bigger than Lynx but barely. I think her name was Fiona.

"Okay we have about an hour until dinner so go wash up and change. Be there at 6 o'clock. No later." Clementine says as she struts out of the room. Mags leads Melvin and I to our rooms and tells us where the dinner car is. I walk in to my room and wish more than anything that I could just skip dinner and take a nap on the bed. I feel emotionally exhausted, and this is only the first few hours of the whole process. I am terrified at what is going to come next.

 **Authors note: Okay another chapter! If you guys would review or follow the story I would love that. As I said chapters will be coming out daily so stay tuned. I honestly just can't wait until we get to the Games. Its my favorite part and I have a great arena in mind** **J** **Just to let you guys know I very rarely proofread anything I write so if you see typos that's why. If it really annoys you let me know in the reviews section and I will make sure to get better with it. Thanks for reading 3**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

I walked into the bathroom and was greeted with a bunch of technology that I do not understand. At home we have a shower, if you want to call it that. It is basically a faucet that is up high. There is no hot water, only cold. A lot of the time it doesn't even work so we will just go rise off in the ocean. This, however, is something entirely new to me. I slide a glass door open and step into the shower. As soon as my feet hit the floor the water turns on covering my head. In front of me is a panel with all kinds of options. The options include heat, shampoo, conditioner, soap, scrub, and pressure. I am content with the temperature so I hit soap. A soon as I hit that a long list of options come up of what I assume is different scents. The list is endless so just tap a random one. As soon as I hit it soap flies out of jets on the wall and covers me in pink foam, a sponge then drops out of a dispenser. I rub the sponge over me body then rinse the rest of the soap off. When I hit the shampoo the same options list pops up. I hit a random one again and this time shampoo is squirted out of a dispenser above me and lands on my head. I rub it in then do the same with the conditioner. After all the soap and shampoo if off me I step out. I didn't see any towels around but as soon as I step out of the shower I realize why. Warm air assaults me from ever direction drying me completely off in a few seconds. My hair is still damp so I just tie it up in a bun.

I then walk over to a dresser and pull out a navy blue t-shirt and a pair of black pants, along with under garments. I put them on and the fit perfectly. The clothes I was previously wearing disappeared from the room, I can only assume an Avox took them away for me. I see a mirror in the corner and look at myself in it. Compared to the other tributes I seem like I am one of the stronger ones. All those days helping make nets, fishing, and hauling shipping supplies has made me quite strong. I have also never been starving in my life. My parents always made sure I had at least one meal a day so I am sure that has helped me a lot. I actually might stand a chance in this thing. As long as, like Mags said, I can align myself with the right people I might be okay. My biggest worry is going to be the Careers. The clock on the wall dings so I look up and see that it says 5:55. Almost time for dinner.

I walk into the dinner car and sit down. Everyone is already there. Clementine is in a new outfit. A shimmering orange gown that looks similar to her skin in the sunlight replaces her poufy dress. She also has on more comfortable looking shoes, though I still wouldn't wear them. Her heels are black and at least 6 inches high but she walks ink them with ease. Mags is sitting at the table wearing the same dark blue ant suit she was wearing at the wearing and Melvin is wearing pretty much the name thing I am.

"Oh how great you two look all clean. Every year I am amazed by how dirty you children are, and not to mention your smell! Every tribute from District 4 always smells like rotting fish." Clementine says wile sitting down in her dinner chair. I see Mags look over at her and roll her eyes. "Well don't be shy eat up!" she says motioning towards bread on the table, "Dinner will be served in a matter of minutes."

Dinner was nothing like I have ever experience. First we were given something called Root beer, and a salad. I have never had vegetables so fresh in my life. After the salad we were given a soup that Clementine said was called tomato Basil, after that we were given what is called spaghetti and meatballs. I have had spaghetti before but it was nothing like this. Our spaghetti is made up of cheap grain and is bought at the market. It also usually had a salty taste to it because everything in District 4 has a salty flavor. After the spaghetti I thought my stomach was going to burst but then they brought out Dessert. Mags said it is called cheesecake. I told myself that I was only going to have a bite but that didn't happen. I ended up eating two pieces.

During the whole dinner Melvin was shoving the food into his mouth barely using his utensils. I doubt he even knows how to use them any ways. The whole time Clementine looked at him with disgust with made it all the funnier. About halfway through eating he had to run to the bathroom, pretty sure he threw up from eating so much so suddenly but as soon as he sat back down he continued eating the food that was put in front of him.

"What part of District 4 are you from?" I ask Melvin just trying to make some conversation.

"You can't tell? I am from the Slums. I live there with my mom and 3 younger brothers. She sells fish at the market that my uncle catches. He lives with us too because my dad died in a fishing accident when I was ten" he replies

"'Oh wow I'm sorry."

"It's okay we aren't doing too bad. My uncle helps a lot. What part are you from?"

"I live by the dunes."

"Prime flooding area huh?"

"Yup happens a few times a year. I am lucky enough to know someone up in Sandy ridge so we can stay there when it gets really bad." After I say that he nods and looks back down at his food.

After everyone eats Mags asks us if we have any questions but right now all I can think of is sleeping. We all head over to our rooms. I walk in mine and practically jump into the bed. This bed is like nothing I have ever lied on before. Mine at home is just a wooden plank with a blanket under me; pretty sure the plank is rotting out so I am going to need to get a new one. Well, now I guess I won't. I will either never sleep another night in District four or sleep the rest of them in the lap of luxury. I highly doubt I will be ever going back there though. Even when I said my goodbyes to my parents and Shelly they seemed like they were saying goodbye forever. I could tell that that isn't what they wanted but that was just what was going to happen. After seeing the tributes from Districts 1 and 2 I have even less hope than I did before. How am I supposed to compete with someone who trained their entire lives for this. I feel bad killing fish sometimes, never mind a person. What if I had to kill one of my allies? How could I murder someone I was friends with. The more I think about it the more I think Melvin had the right idea, just jump off the platform in the first few seconds. That would be an instant and painless death. I could never to that to my parents though. Just thinking about my mom making the same sound our neighbor did last year when she saw her son die. Even the thought of that makes my heart break.

Thinking about all this just makes me upset and I start crying. I start letting out all the emotions I have had to hold in today to look good for the cameras. I know I am going to die, I know it. There is no chance of me being the Victor. With luck someone will end it quickly. I have seen some tributes bleed out for hours, or be tortured for information on where their allies are. I just pray that that will not be me. If not for me, but for my parents. I can't imagine what they are thinking right now. I hope they aren't thinking about the same thing I am. I also wonder what Shelly is doing. She must have not gone to that post reaping party at the beach. She probably just went home. I hope she can meet another friend, she tends to get depressed when she is alone for too long. The more I think about the people I am leaving behind the more I cry. I just cry myself to sleep with the hope that when I wake up tomorrow I will be in District 4 smelling fish stew cooking in the kitchen.

 **Authors Note: Another shorter chapter. Again if you guys would review that would be super helpful to me. Also any suggestions I would appreciate too. Do you not think I am going in depth enough for certain characters? Or would you like less of other ones. Let me know! Thanks for reading 3**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

"Meeka, Wake up! We are coming upon the Capitol! Oh this is so exciting, I bet you have never seen anything so great." Clementine says while shaking me awake. Today she is wearing an Orange lace gown that goes from her neck to the floor. The lace is super se through and you can see her black undergarments. Her hair is fire truck red and it's in some intricate hairstyle on top of her head. She runs out of the room into the Melvin's room across the hall to wake him up.

I look up at the clock and see that it is just coming up on seven o'clock. I throw the blankets off of me and go to the bathroom. If you take a good enough look at me you can tell I spent the night crying, but nobody will notice when the cameras are next on me. I just have to make sure not to get to close to the windows when looking at the capitol. I use the facilities then head out into the dining car. Out on the table is an array of fruits, pastries, meats, breads, eggs, cheeses and more. I see in the corner a smaller table with drinks on it. I walk over and see the one that says coffee. I have never had coffee before. I have heard it is supposed to wake you up or something but I have never tasted it. I grab a cup and fill it with the dark liquid. I take a sip and instantly decide I hate coffee. Mags must have seen my face when I tried it because she walks over laughing.

"This stuff is gross. How could anyone like it?" I say while putting the red mug down on the table.

"It's an acquired taste, plus most people put other things in it to mask the taste." She says.

"Well I am not a fan."

"Here most tributes prefer this over the coffee." She says while grabbing a new mug and filling it with another brown liquid. She then opens a jar labeled "Marshmallows", takes 2 out, and puts them into the cup that is now filled with steaming liquid. "Try this" I grab the cup and take a sip.

"Wow okay now this is actually good." I say before taking another sip.

"Its called hot chocolate." She replies as she makes a cup of coffee for herself; this time putting milk and sugar into it.

Melvin walks in the room with his bright red hair sticking out in different places. He was obviously crying last night too, and possibly this morning by the look of his eyes. He walks over to the food, grabs a pastry then walks over to us. Mags makes him a cup of hot chocolate then we all go sit at the table where Clementine is doing something on some kind of electric tablet. I look over the table to see what I am going to eat, I am still pretty full from last night but I know I am going to have to put weight on if I want to stand a chance against the bigger contestants.

"Alright, now that everyone is here, I will tell you how are day is going to happen. We should be coming upon the Capitol within a few minutes. When we arrive you will be brought to your stylist. They are going to get you ready for the Chariot Ceremony. I will meet you at the end and bring you to your room in the Training building apartments. You guys are going to love this! Every year the tributes look so unique!" Clementine says as she scrolls through her tablet.

"The stylists are going to make you feel uncomfortable but let them do their job. Fighting them isn't going to help. I have seen them literally tie the tributes down before. As soon as you get out to where the chariots are start sizing up the other tributes. This is going to be everyone's first time seeing each other in person so try to make a good impression. Talk to some of them if you have time. Once you hear the gong you are going to have to get on your chariot. Once you roll out make sure to smile and wave. Sponsors will be there, and you need sponsors to win. Any questions?" Says Mags

"What if they don't like me?" Melvin asks in a shaking voice.

"Make them like you. Just be yourself, and Melvin just don't cry again. I know this is an emotional experience but you need to start being viewed as a winner. Winners don't cry every time someone says something." Mags replies. Melvin nods.

Suddenly all natural light is cut off. This must be the tunnel under the mountains. These mountains surround the Capitol and any time anyone wants to get in they have to go through. I have seen it on the television. Melvin and I run over to the window and look out. For a minute or two it is complete darkness. Then the train is starting to slow down and we pop back out into the sunlight. My eyes adjust to the light, and I can see it, the Capitol. The buildings look impossibly high and light shines off them like it shines of the ocean in District 4. I look down and see a rainbow of people. All dressed in different colors and many of them with unique body modifications. They are all screaming and clapping trying to get a look at us. After about a minute we pull into a station and the train comes to a stop.

"Okay, follow me children!" Clementine squeals as she runs out of the train onto the plat form. We walk into a large room with dozens of doors. Mags motions for me to follow her and Melvin follows Clementine.

"Like I said, this is going to be uncomfortable but don't fight them. They are just doing their jobs and they are going to end up doing it whether you like it or not." Mags says while closing the door behind her. I am now alone in this room. There is a flat table thing that I assume I am supposed to sit on. Surrounding it is all kinds of different gadgets. There is also a shower and bathtub in the corner. Off to the right is a chair with a large lit up mirror in front of it. There is a table connected to the mirror that has thousands of kinds of makeup sitting on it. I walk over to the flat cushioned table and take a seat on it. Instantly three people bust into the room.

The first is a man who looks like a lion. He has hair going completely around his face and whiskers coming out of his cheeks. The next is a woman. She has short hair that is perfectly curled. As she walks the curls change different colors. She also has purple skin and her eyes are two different colors. One is green and one blue. The last person is another man. He is completely metallic. His skin is shinier than some of the buildings I saw. His features are completely smoothed over; at first I thought he was a robot. All three of them are wearing simple clack clothes. This must just be fore their jobs because I can't imagine them wearing something so mundane in their everyday lives. The man who looks like a lion walks up to me first and shakes my hand.

"My name is Samuel. That is Candy," he says motioning to the woman circling me like a shark, "and that is Magnesium." Motioning to the metallic man.

"I am Meeka, nice to meet you." I say

"Oh, honey, we know who you are! As soon as we saw you we started thinking of designs for you and Melvin. We can't wait to have you put all these things on! But first we have to clean you up." Candy says.

As soon as they start getting me ready I understand what Mags was talking about. First they had me strip down and get into the bath. They scrubbed every inch of me, and it hurt. I am surprised I even have skin after that. Next they laid me on the cushioned tabled and removed every bit of hair from me except for the hair on my head. That was probably the worst part. After that I had to get in the shower where the scrubbed me down again. Then they clipped my nails, pushed back my cuticles, and plucked my eyebrows. They also put eyelash extensions on me, and cut my hair so I didn't have any dead ends. Usually my hair is extremely curly but they straightened it so it would be completely flat. The whole process took at least five hours. After they were done they let me put my robe back on and they brought me into a small side room where we were served lunch. The whole time they just babbled about how different I looked and how much dirt and hair they had to take off me.

After lunch they brought me back into the room and had me sit down in the styling chair. Samuel told me to wait here for Lucifer. Lucifer, great, what a thing to look forward to. I have seen him on TV during the Games, and he looks terrifying. As soon as he walks in the room I am greeted with what I pretty much expected. He has ash white skin, red eyes, a long black robe, horns, and huge black wings that come out of his back. "Hello Meeka, I am Lucifer. I will be your stylist during these games." When he speaks I can see that he has a forked tongue making him all the creepier. "I have something great planned for you. Angelica and I have been working on it all night for you and Melvin. I think you will love it." He says while walking towards a white clothing bag hanging on the wall. Angelica is District 4's other stylist. She is always dressed like an angel, complete with the halo. Figures I would get stuck with Lucifer though.

Lucifer grabs the bag off the wall and pulls out the costume. It looks like a mermaid costume. The tail has shifting green and blue scales that look incredibly real. The top is a mixture of shells, net and seaweed designed to look beautifully elegant. It is one of the most beautiful costumes I have seen for District 4. He puts it on me and I sit back down in the chair. The whole costume is surprisingly modest; there is only a small portion of my stomach showing, though it does have quite the revealing neckline. When I sit down he starts doing my hair. His long black fingernails run thought it as he starts styling it. When he is done I have what people call "beach waves". After that he starts doing my makeup. I have makeup caked onto my face. T feels about two pounds heavier by the time we are done but when I look in the mirror I look flawless. My skin is perfectly smooth, any freckles I had before are now covered. I have a blue shimmering eye shadow and a scale design contouring my face. I actually look like something straight out of the ocean. Lucifer steps back and admires his work.

"Alright I am going to bring you to the Chariots, you have about thirty minutes before you have to board yours." He says while walking towards the door motioning me to follow him. This outfit was not designed for mobility. I have to take tiny steps because the tail keeps my legs very close together. I follow him through a few halls and we eventually walk into a huge room. Lucifer says goodbye and leaves.

In the room are many of the tributes and all of the chariots already lined up. I see Melvin standing by District 3's chariot talking to Lynx and her partner. Melvin is dressed similar to me except with les makeup and no top. You can see his ribs popping out due to him not eating enough. The two from district three are covered in wires from head to toe. It is honestly one of the ugliest outfits here. I shimmy over to them, slowly but surely. I hear them talking about their districts. When I almost get to them the girl from District 7 stops me.

"Hey! Cool outfit." She says. She is dressed in barely anything. She has one leaf covering each of her nipples, and a few surrounding her crotch and butt. She is tall, has olive skin, short black hair, and hazel eyes.

"Thanks, yours is cool too." I say not really believing it.

"Oh please this is barely an outfit. When he took it out I was like 'Seriously? What did you forget to do your job and grabbed a few leaves on the way over here?' he didn't like that so much." She says while laughing

"You should have seen my stylist, his name is Lucifer and he makes sure you know it. He looks like the devil."

"Ugh, Capitol people. Why do they wear these awful things?"

"I know, don't even get me started on the escorts." After I say that I hear the gong ring.

"I'm Iris by the way," she says while walking towards the District 7 chariot.

"Meeka" I shout, "nice to meet you!"

With that I start going to my chariot. Getting on it was not easy. Melvin and I had to use some serious teamwork. I had to lift him up onto it and he had to pull me up. These mer-people outfits are getting more annoying by the second. The whole time I could hear the boy and girl from District five laughing behind us. Honestly they shouldn't be laughing. Their outfits are barely anything. Being the power district I guess the stylist thought electrocution would be a good idea. They look like they have both been electrocuted. You can see their veins popping out of everywhere, and when I say everywhere I mean it. They have no clothes on at all. They skin has just been slightly tinted so they look burnt. Their hair is sticking up and looks scorched. Honestly, it's an awful costume. Melvin and I just ignore them and position ourselves on the chariot.

As soon as everyone gets on we start moving. District 1 goes out first. They are dressed in pearls and other various gems. Being the luxury district that isn't surprising. Next is District 2, painted to look like stone. If I saw them sanding next to a boulder I might not even notice there was a person there. District 3 rolls out next in their wiry out fits. Then we start moving. The crowds on both sides of us are roaring with excitement. I can see thousands of people taking photos, throwing flowers and clapping. All of them excited to see twenty-three of us die. Melvin and I smile and wave to everyone, trying desperately to make sponsors notice us. After us District 5 comes out in their "costumes". After them is District 6, dressed as airplane pilots. After them comes Iris and her partner. He is wearing less than her. He has a few leaves covering the bottom half of his body but that is about it. 8's tributes look like human yarn balls. 9's are dressed in elegant outfits. Their outfits are made of different grains getting lighter as they get closer to the ground. 10's are dressed like farmers. 11's are dressed like scarecrows. Finally 12's are dressed as sexy coal miners. After all the chariots reach the end we all face a balcony that President Snow will come out onto.

"Welcome Tributes to this year's 61st annual Hunger Games! We are all so glad that you are here for this historic event. I can tell this is going to be a great Games by just looking at all of you. As you know the Games is necessary for our great Country, and you all should feel honored you get to take part in it. Thank you all for cooperating and being here with us. I look forward to see what you all are going to bring to the table." President Snow finishes up his little speech with a bow and heads off stage. Funny, he makes it sounds like we have a choice in being here. I feel the chariot start moving again and we are brought back to the building we started in. Clementine waiting there for us.

 **Authors Note: New chapter** **J** **This is a longer one, as you can tell. The next few chapters are going to be about training and such so you guy will get to see what Meeka is up against. I'm curious what do you think will happen? Have any alliances you think she might form? What about Melvin? Do you think Meeka will stick with him through the Games or leave him to fend for himself? Let me know! As always thanks for reading. New chapter should be out later today.**


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